First Looks at Atlas and Grand Champion BBQ

Over at Creative Loafing, Angela Hansberger takes a first look at Atlas, the new restaurant inside Buckhead's St. Regis hotel. Hansberger says the service, food, and ambiance are worth the steep prices:

Service here is unobtrusive yet has a formality that is attentive to every anticipated whim. Gingham-clad servers sweep away crumbs between courses, offer educated wine suggestions, and time the arrival of food and drinks so as not to intrude on conversation. An evening like this does not come cheap. With appetizers, entrees, dessert, and a glass of wine each, dinner for two at Atlas runs around $200 with tip. But that includes exquisite service, [Christopher] Grossman's captivating cooking, and a gallery tour complete with Picassos, Van Goghs, and a Chagall.

Creative Loafing's Todd Brock takes a first look at Grand Champion BBQ's Krog Street Market stall. Brock says all the barbecue is good, but the ribs are where Grand Champion shines:

What's the bottom line? GC's ribs are stellar. The rest of the menu offerings are above average, but like almost everything at Krog Street they feel slightly overpriced. The prices, however, are comparable to ones at other barbecue spots in town, such as nearby Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q. Lunching alone, you can blow through $20 without blinking. But GC's pay-by-the-pound strategy is convenient if you're trying to feed an entire office or family.

THE ELSEWHERE AND THE BLOGS: Hunger Pangs in Atlanta can't say enough good things about Superica. Eat It, Atlanta thinks L'Thai is a letdown. Fried Chicken Lips likes Le Fat, but is seriously disappointed in Gu's Dumplings. Bella Vivere is obsessed with Bezoria, and Atlanta Restaurant Blog is a fan as well. Crush Crave says Diner is a great addition to Atlantic Station. Marie, Let's Eat! says Ameer's Mediterranean Grill is in the upper tier of Atlanta Mediterranean restaurants.